Improved apparatus



H.v W. o. 'TWED'DLE.

z meets-Sheet 2.

DISTILLING OIL.

Patented Feb.. 4, 1862.

in the drawings.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT .W. G. TWEDDLE, OF GREAT BRITAIN.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING COAL-OIL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.

\Specilication forming part or Letters Patent No. 34,324, dated February 4,1862.

To all whom it may concern).-

Be it known that I, HERBERT WV. 0. TWED- DLE, an alien aud'subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Apparatus for Distilling Petroleum or any other Hydrocarbon Oil or Fats of any Description; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a .full, clear,

and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the line b b of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a'perspective View of the coil steam-pipe F detached from'the still. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the oil-charging pipe D and a distributer, Fig. 6 is a perpendicular section through the line 0 0 of Fig. 5.

Like letters in all the figures represent the same parts of theapparatus.

The nature of my invention consists in an apparatus for distillingpetroleum or any other hydrocarbon oil or fats of any description by means of superheated steam, so that fire is dispensed with in proximity to the still, thus rendering the process of distillation much safer than in the usual mode, and insuring perma nent soundness to the still and pipes.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the base for the still and its appurtenanccs.

B is the still, which rests on the pedestal C. Dis the oil-charging pipe connecting the still to the reservoir. The latleris not shown The pipe D has a stop-cock, a, to cut off the supply of oil when necessary.

E is a steam-distri'buter or blow-pipe. radial arms I) and the'rim o are perforated with holes (I, to insure an equal distribution of superheated steam through the still. The steampipe F is provided-with a stop-cock, c, and a blow-pipe, f.

G is the dome of the still.

H is a dischargingpipe through which the refined oil flows and passes through the series of condensing-pipes I, which are arranged in the condensi ng-tan k J. Said tank has a stream 01' cold water constantly flowing into it. Near its top it has an overflow-pipeg. The residuum from the oil runs from the bottom of the still B into the waste-pipe K, leading from the bot tom of the still. Said pipe has astop-cock, 71, so as to only open the pipe when necessary to discharge the residuum.v

L and M are receivers, which are on the pedestal C, and into which the oil passes from the condensing-pipes I through the pipe N and branch pipe 0, which latter is provided with stop-cocks z'j, for the purpose of cutting off the suppiy of oil into thereceiver. The latter cock is seen in Fig. 3.

P and Q are oil-discharging pipes of the receivers L and M. They have stop-cocks kand Z. At the top of the rcceivers'are air-cocksm and n, which are opened when a vacuum is to be destroyed.

It is a device for producing a vacuum, which I denominate a vacuum apparatus, which I use to produce a vacuum in the receivers L and M and back througli the condensing-pipe to the'still, for the-purpose of producing'a flow of oil therein from the still 13. Said vacuum apparatus connects with the receivers by means of the branch pipe S, which has stopcocks o and p. The said vacuum apparatus has a vacuum-chamber at or near its middle, of globular form, which connects by means of a pipe with the branch pipe S. I do notconfine myself, however, to this form, as the form may be varied without materially injuring the effect of the chamber; and from said chamber there extends upward an outlet-pipe, which is made funnel shaped at its outer end.

T is a stea-nrcmission pipe, which connects with the vacuum apparatus It. It has a stopcock, q, for cutting off the steam from the, vacuum z'tpparatus and destroying or regulat- The ing the vacuum. The receivers L and M are used alternately, the one not in use having its connection cut off with the oil branch-pipe O and the vacuum apparatus R.

The operation is as follows: After the still is charged, I heat the contents with steam, which is let into the pipe F. Then I turn the steam on the hurricane B whioh. immediately commences to produce a vacuum in the receiver L and pipes leading to the still 13, and distillation becomes very rapid. \Vhcn the receiver L is full, I turn the keys of the stopcocks qi and 0, to cut oil its connection with the oil branch pipe 0 and the vacuum apparatus ing ,in which the Operation of distilling is'carried on, and to do that, which has been hitherto attended with considerable danger. perfectly safe. It obviates, besides the continual annoyance and derangement of the business, which frequently occurs in the old mode by the cracking or burning out of the'siill, leakage of pipes, 8:0. No leakage from defective joints can possibly occur so that the gas would escape, as the pressure of the atmosphere from without is greater than the internal pressure. Another advantage is having the products of distillation received in the immediate vicinity of the still, so as to have the whole operation. under the eyeoi' the workman The apparatus can be arranged with any still without any derangement of the former. The coil in the interior 'of the still is for the purpose of heating the oil up to distilling temperature, The blow-pipe is used when the operator thinks it desirable Having thus fully described the construe tion and operation ofiny-improvement in stills for distilling petroleum or any other hydrocarbon oil or fats of any description, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

-1. The vacuum apparatus It, with which by the use of steam I produce a vacuum.

2. The use of the vacuum apparatus R, arranged substantially as described, inconibination with the receivers L and M, or their equivalents.

3. The use of the vacuum apparatus R, in combination with the steam-pipe F, arranged in the interior of the still, substantially as de scribed.

Witness my hand and seal.

HERBERT W. C. TWEDDLEM [a s] Witnesses:

JOHN H. BAILEY, H. SPRoUL. 

